British Officials Disrupt
Major Terror Plot

By

Barbara Chai The Wall Street Journal Online

Updated Aug. 10, 2006 7:00 a.m. ET

U.K. authorities foiled a major terrorist plot to kill passengers on trans-Atlantic flights by using explosives smuggled in hand luggage, causing both the U.K. and U.S. to raise their security-threat assessments and creating delays and closures at London's Heathrow and other airports in Europe.

U.K. Home Secretary John Reid said police believed the alleged plot was "a very significant one indeed," while U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said, "We believe that these arrests have significantly...